Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Bundaberg Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Bundaberg

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,420 per month in Melbourne vs $1,961 in Bundaberg, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,592 per month in Melbourne vs $2,971 in Bundaberg, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,765 per month in Melbourne vs $3,981 in Bundaberg, rent included.

Melbourne costs about 23% more than Bundaberg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Melbourne and Bundaberg sit above the global median – Melbourne by 81%, Bundaberg by 47%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 A$27.73

$16.00 A$22.93

21.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 A$111

$64.1 A$91.8

20.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 A$14.11

$8.09 A$11.59

21.76%

Cappuccino

$3.73 A$5.34

$3.39 A$4.86

10.03%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 A$3.75

$2.30 A$3.30

13.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.27

$1.97 A$2.82

15.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 A$10.54

$5.21 A$7.47

41.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 A$9.94

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$2.15 A$3.07

-30.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.69

$1.83 A$2.62

40.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.35

$3.02 A$4.33

-22.52%

Eggs

$4.85 A$6.95

$4.14 A$5.94

17.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 A$12.50

$9.66 A$13.84

-9.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 A$13.26

$10.31 A$14.77

-10.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 A$20.89

$20.99 A$30.07

-30.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.75

$3.44 A$4.93

-3.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.03

$2.56 A$3.67

9.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.30

$2.63 A$3.77

14.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 A$5.70

$4.07 A$5.82

-2.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.82

$3.11 A$4.45

-14.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.20

$2.36 A$3.38

-5.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.14

$2.00 A$2.87

9.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.35

$3.39 A$4.85

-51.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.95 A$45.77

$28.32 A$40.58

12.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 A$19.94

$12.82 A$18.37

8.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.67 A$6.69

$7.16 A$10.26

-34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.22

$6.98 A$10.00

-27.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 A$5.02

$2.55 A$3.66

37.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 A$173

$58.0 A$83.1

108.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.10

$1.33 A$1.90

167.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$3.18 A$4.55

-55.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.50 A$39.39

$33.30 A$47.71

-17.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$1.22 A$1.75

-5.74%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.2K A$41.8K

$26.2K A$37.5K

11.46%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.0K A$32.9K

$26.0K A$37.2K

-11.59%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$154 A$220

$129 A$185

19.51%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.93 A$29.99

$26.39 A$37.82

-20.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 A$73.7

$56.6 A$81.2

-9.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.89 A$70.0

$26.40 A$37.83

85.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.24 A$23.27

$12.77 A$18.30

27.17%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 A$22.88

$11.66 A$16.71

36.96%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,765 A$2,529

$454 A$650

288.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K A$28.0K

$18.5K A$26.5K

5.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 A$96.1

$77.9 A$112

-13.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 A$78.0

$69.0 A$98.8

-21.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$151

$124 A$177

-14.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$149

$148 A$212

-29.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 A$2,257

$801 A$1,148

96.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 A$1,728

$739 A$1,059

63.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,041 A$4,357

$1,497 A$2,145

103.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 A$2,897

$1,278 A$1,831

58.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,077 A$10.1K

$6,843 A$9,803

3.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,420 A$9,198

$5,588 A$8,006

14.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,398 A$6,301

$2,712 A$3,886

62.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.5

-4.77%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Melbourne: July 14, 2026

Last update for Bundaberg: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,575 in Melbourne versus $801 in Bundaberg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 62% higher in Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Melbourne versus $64.0 in Bundaberg. Groceries tell a different story – $353 in Melbourne vs $413 in Bundaberg – so Melbourne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Melbourne vs Bundaberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne costs about 23% more than Bundaberg, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,630 per month in Melbourne and $2,942 in Bundaberg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bundaberg, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Melbourne – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Melbourne and $64.0 in Bundaberg. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bundaberg, where all-in costs run around $1,961, than in Melbourne at $2,420. In Bundaberg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bundaberg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bundaberg. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.